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Internet research and unclear rules are creating confusion for students, who are increasingly bringing legal challenges

Modern university students are just as likely to reach for Google and
Wikipedia as a textbook. But an over-reliance on internet research — plus a
hotchpotch of university rules — could see an outbreak of litigation over
cheating allegations.

Law students — and those aiming to be doctors, nurses and midwives — are
increasingly forced to bring legal challenges to universities and
professional bodies that hold their careers in the balance after a
plagiarism charge.

These days academic institutions use software programmes to sniff out possible
plagiarism. But technology glitches and overly rigid regulations are
handicapping students who unwittingly breach rules and endangering their